Hope
by TheEndlessHorizon
Summary: There were many things that drove Chell in her escape. But the one thing was hope; a hope that she might, one day, escape the chambers of Aperture and reach the surface. It kept her going... until that hope was shattered.


The sound of turet-song still faint in her ears, Chell's lift jolted as it stopped at a round, metal door. It opened.

White clouds against a blue sky, the sun shining brightly upon wind-russled wheat stalks. Chell finally smiled, enjoying the light breeze and the feeling of the sun on her face. Suddenly, there was a banging sound behind her. Chell turned around, moving back a step as she took in the form of the entrance to Aperture; The entrance was disguised as a dillapidated metal shack, given away only by the warning signs on its door.

Said door swung open, hinges clanging as the door snapped to the side.

Chell waited, almost breathlessly at what would come next...

With a thud, a charred Companion Cube was tossed through the elevator shaft and into the bright sunlight.

The door closed for the last time.

_However, not just any Companion Cube..._

Chell's mind flooded with memories.

_**Chell had been testing with her new Cube, a one with pink hearts instead of the usual Aperture Logo. Chell smiled at her Companion Cube, hugging it in one hand as she balanced her Portal Gun in the other. She wasn't quite sure, but there was something about the Cube that made it... special, in a way. The voice of GLaDOS sounded overhead.**_

_**"You did it. The Weighted Companion Cube certainly brought you good luck."**_

_**Chell couldn't help but agree; ever since she had been given it, she had seemed to go through the test faster than normal. She smiled again, hugging the Cube.**_

_**"However, it cannot accompany you for the rest of the test, and, unfortunately, must be euthanized."**_

_**Chell was shocked.**_

**Euthanize?**_** She thought. **_**Surely she didn't mean that...**

_**"Please escort your Companion Cube to the Aperture Science Emergency Intelligence Incinerator."**_

_**Chell was heartbroken. She quickly steeled her resolve, trying not to show her conflicting thoughts as she rounded the corner and pressed the red button. A round chute door opened, spiralling into the sides to reveal what seemed to be an endless pit. Tinted red, nevertheless.**_

_**The camera behind Chell watched as she hoisted the Cube off of the button, moving it with her Portal Gun to the mouth of the tunnel.**_

_**She hesitated, only for a moment, then de-activated the Portal Gun's "hold" function. Her Companion Cube fell, and the chute closed once more. GLaDOS chose at that moment to speak up again.**_

_**"You euthanized your faithful Companion Cube more quickly than any test subject on record."**_

_**Chell felt like she had been punched in the gut.**_

_**"Congratulations."**_

Chell was brought back from that particular memory as she realized that the Companion Cube hadn't been euthanized, and for that matter, was really much there. She recalled another line, one that GLaDOS herself had spoke as Chell had been slowly moving toward her fiery "death." Once again, the omnipotent AI's voice rang in her head.

_**"All Aperture technologies remain safely operational up to 4000 degrees Kelvin."**_

A realization came to Chell; The test had been simply that, a test. GLaDOS had forced her to burn the cube with full knowledge that the cube would survive, in order to test her mental strength.

Chell sighed. It was no use remininscing of the past, when a new future awaited.

Hoisting the Cube in her arms, she headed towards the wheat field. An invisible wall blocked her. Chell panicked for a moment as the wheat field distorted and rippled, just like... computer screens.

A realization came to Chell, a horrible realization that shocked her to the core.

She slumped, resting on her knees as she banged a hand against the screens. They had switched already, displaying three-dimensional Aperture Science Logos. The screens retracted, one by one, until she found herself in a familiar glass room; a sign with the bold numbers "00" emblazoned on it flickered to life outside, and a radio in her room switched on and began playing jazz music. The other pieces of furnishing were a bed, a toilet, and a stand on which the radio sat.

A voice rang out, a hauntingly familiar voice that only proved to further antagonize her.

"_You really didn't think I would let you go, did you? Oh, you did. I guess I shouldn't be suprised; After all, I suppose that's what comes from having brain damage. You dangerous, mute lunatic."_

For the first time that she could recall, Chell cried.

* * *

_My updated version. Enjoy._


End file.
